Patricia Carera, 1937—2025 | Obituary

Patricia Ann Carera, known for her joyful spirit and a gift for connecting with everyone she met, passed away on August 7, 2025, in Tucson, Ariz., at the age of 87.

Born Patricia Ann Reed in 1937 in Phelps, Wisconsin, she was the daughter of Reuben Reed and Agnes Blumberg Reed. She grew up in the close-knit community of Conover, where her grandfather Carl “Charlie” Reed was one of the area’s first Swedish settlers. A bright young woman of many interests, “Patty” leaned into her passion for music, particularly singing and the piano. This love led her to leave home for Milwaukee to further her musical studies.

In Milwaukee, Patricia transitioned into the business world, utilizing her organizational skills and personable nature as a secretary. Her journey eventually took her to California, where she met, in her words, her one great love, Wes. They married and spent three joyful decades together before his sudden passing to cancer at the age of 55. She went on to live in Colorado and later Arizona, where she spent her final years.

Wherever Pat lived, she made friends effortlessly. She possessed a genuine joy for life and a wonderful sense of humor, able to bring people together by sharing stories over a good meal. She had a unique ability to make others feel heard. Throughout her moves across states, music also remained a touchstone for community and faith as she sang in church choirs.

Patricia was preceded in death by her husband, Welsey Carera, and her beloved brother, Wayne Reed. She leaves behind a family who will miss her warmth and joy, including grandsons Chris and Nathan Carera, her great-granddaughter, Stella Carera Gamble, and her dear cousins and close friends, old and new.

Patricia has returned to the Northwoods of Wisconsin. She was interred at the historic Hildegard Cemetery in Conover on a beautiful, sunny day. In an intimate ceremony of gathered family, she was laid to rest alongside her husband and her parents.

A lifelong lover of animals, especially her beloved dogs, the family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in her honor to the ASPCA or local organizations helping animals in need.